Walmart

Coast to coast, chains are vying to leave no Hispanic customer behind, but for the independents it's second nature.

SEATTLE - About 40,000 current and former Wal-Mart employees have been cleared to take part in a class action against Wal-Mart in the state of Washington, and plaintiffs' attorneys are now in the process of tracking those workers down.

WILMINGTON, Del. - Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang are joining forces with the world's biggest retailer this Halloween season to encourage children to treat themselves to good health by eating a colorful variety of at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

ATLANTA - When it comes to convenient banking, the supermarket can't be beat, according to participants in a Market Pulse Survey conducted by IBT, a branch banking consultancy based here.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. said yesterday that ex-Dollar General president Lawrence V. Jackson will join its ranks as executive vice president of the People Division, responsible for human resources strategy and programs for the company's 1.5 million associates.

BOISE, Idaho - Albertsons, Inc. has informed employees in its Dallas/Ft. Worth division that thousands of full-time workers' hours will be reduced to part-time as the chain fights Wal-Mart to regain the No. 1 position in the market.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has unveiled its strategy for store growth for the fiscal year beginning Feb. 1, 2005. The company's current expansion plans are in line with its aggressive growth strategy in recent years.

TOKYO - Aeon Co. Ltd., Asia's biggest retailer, said yesterday that it intends to open more Wal-Mart-style supercenters, starting in 2006, due to the store's growing popularity with value-minded Japanese consumers.